I found you because I lost something
by unwanted- angel
Summary: Naruto and Ino spend a little time together, learn some new things about the other, and get closer than they thought possible...
1. Chapter 1

A little something (6,202 words all together) I wrote 2 years ago and never posted .

Enjoy and pretty please review !

Chapter one.

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><p>"Were home!" Naruto said.<p>

"Yeah and just in time too, look!" Sakura said.

Naruto, sakura, and kakashi sensei all looked at the leaf village in awe. Christmas lights were everywhere it was a remarkable sight.

"Come on!'' Said Naruto. "Let's go see what everybody is up to."

They all headed into the village. "The decorations are great!" naruto said.

"Yeah! I can't wait for Christmas! How about you Naruto?"

"Yeah, I guess." He shrugged

. "What do you mean I guess? Christmas is one of the best times of the year!" Argued sakura.

"Yeah I know but, ever since I was born I've spent Christmas with perfect strangers, when I got a little older I started spending it with the third. But I guess I can't do that now. But hay! That's ok I still like the holiday. Oh look there's kiba, be right back sakura!" (His short attention span just kicked in.)

"Ok, sakura said in a low voice." I feel so sorry for Naruto sometimes. She thought. I spend so much time with him; I just forget that he doesn't have any family. He's only been back for a week, and he seam's fine, I guess.

"Hay sakura! Come here!" naruto called from a few feet away.

"Huh? Oh coming!" She ran to the blond haired boy. "What?"

"Look at what kiba's dog can do!"

Naruto, sakura, and kiba all watched kiba's dog akamaru as he flipped in the air several times.

Good boy akamaru! Kiba said.

The dog then stopped flipping and dropped to the ground, making the ground shake. "That was cool!" Naruto said. "Yeah! And for such a huge dog doing so many flips it was pretty impressive!" Sakura said.

"Thanks!" Woof! Woof! Kiba's dog barked. "Hay were gonna go, my mom is cooking Christmas Eve dinner and I don't want to be late for that!" Kiba said, mounting Akamaru.

"Ok bye Kiba!"

"Bye!" He said waving to them.

"Well I'll see you later Sakura." Naruto said, half walking away.

"Huh, where are you going?" She said.

"I'm going to go get some ramen. Why?

Just thought you'd want to spend Christmas Eve with a friend..." She said quietly.

"Oh well uh, that's ok!" He said. Naruto didn't plan on eating in the ramen restaurant, he had some place else in mind to go.

"Oh ok well I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok bye sakura!"

"Bye," she said as he turned around and left.

Naruto ran to the ramen noodle place, got his order to go, (much to the surprise of Teuchi and Ayame) and ran to the spot where he had planned to eat.

He ran past everyone in his way, and then ran right out the village. Naruto knows he wasn't supposed to be going out the village, what with the akatsuki clan after him. However, this was a place that Naruto used to go when he was a kid, and since he had been back, he has not gone there yet and really wanted to see it.

"Wow! This place look's great." Naruto thought.

It was a beautiful place. A kind of garden with wonderful flowers, and a magnificent lake right next to a little hill. Naruto sat down next to the lake opened his bag full of ramen noodles; broke his chopstick's and started eating. And right as Naruto began to eat he spotted something on the other side of the lake.

It was somewhat hard to see because it was dark, but he was pretty sure it was Ino. He stood up and yelled

"Ino!" He said.

Sure enough, the blond haired girl looked up to see Naruto. Naruto jumped up put his noodles in the bag, slung it over his shoulder, and ran down the little hill.

"What are you doing out here by yourself!" He said to her from the other side of the lake. Ino saw him too, but didn't know what to say.

'Did he follow me here?' She thought. No, why would he do that?

And just as she was thinking, Naruto ran over the lake to her, just an inch from her face. She had no idea why but with him so close to her like that for some reason she blushed.

"Do you have a fever ino? He said. "because your cheeks are red."

"No! I don't have a fever," she said. The blond haired girl immediately stepped back so that they were not so close.

"Oh, alright." He said. "So what are you doing out here?"

"I come out here all the time, what are you doing here?"

"I used to come out here all the time when I was a kid, but since I've been back I haven't been. So here I am!"

"Wait, you used to come here when you were a kid? I used to come here all the time, and I never saw you."

"Maybe that's because I always used to climb on a tree on the other side of the lake. And watch the sun go down. But I guess the tree's been cut down."

"Oh yeah, they cut it down about a year ago". Ino said.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know." She said rather impatiently. Naruto was making her nervous for some reason...

"Hey!" He shouted, obviously not catching her irritated tone. "You don't have your hair in a ponytail!"

"You just realized that?" Asked ino.

"Yeah, I guess I just did!" He said putting his hands behind his head; grinning. "But why don't you have you hair in a pony tail?"

She looked out at the sky.

"Because I was swimming in the lake. I like taking my hair down when I go swimming, but I lost my hair tie somewhere in the water, so that's why it's down."

"Oh, you want me to help you find it?" Naruto asked.

"No, I already looked for it so that's ok." Ino said, embarrassed.

"Oh, all right." A few long seconds went by, and Naruto was looking at ino's hair. "What are you looking at, Naruto! She slightly yelled."

"Nothing!" He said too quickly.

"Are you looking at me? Because if you are than stop cause it's creepy!"

" No, No I'm not looking at you! Why would I want to look at you!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked harshly. Not that she was vain or anything... But Ino thought of her self to be one of the most beautiful girls the leaf village had in it. And found the comment of being ugly very insulting.

"How dare you call me ugly!" Ino said, getting red.

"What! I didn't call you ugly!" Naruto said. "Why would I call you ugly? You're pretty!"

What did he just say?' She thought. "You think I'm pretty?" She asked, getting even redder.

"Yeah!" He said, hoping that she wouldn't slug him as Sakura did when he said something stupid.

"Oh, well thank you." She said. Now feeling rather silly. Trying to change the subject she quickly asked, "What's in the bag Naruto?"

"Oh just some ramen, Do you want some?"

"No thanks, I'm on a diet." She said, still a little flushed.

"A diet!" Scoffed Naruto. "But I thought you and sakura were only doing that for sasuke."

"Yeah, we were at first, but no one wants' to marry a fat woman. So I'm dieting so that I can marry into a noble family. I have to be beautiful and skinny."

"But you're already pretty, and you're skinny to. So why torture yourself? Plus, you're a ninja! You could marry whoever you... Naruto stopped mid-sentence, because Ino was giving him a weird look.

'Why is Naruto being so nice to me,' she thought. "You wouldn't understand! She said. I have to look my best! All the time."

"Well I think it's stupid, if you can't fine someone who can accept you for what you are, than maybe you're not good for each other. But hey that's just my opinion! He quickly added, contemplating walking away. " So what do you do besides swim when you're up here?"

Ino still stuck from naruto's kind words didn't know what to say when he talked.

"I-I um," she managed to get out. 'Oh this is stupid! Its just Naruto.' "I pick flowers. For my family's shop."

"You have a shop?" He asked, astonished

"You didn't know?" She said in surprise. "The Yamanaka flower shop, It's only my last name!"

"Oh, well I guess up until now I never knew your last name!"

"Figures." Ino said, rolling her eyes. "When we were in ninja school you were either not paying attention when people said there full name in class, or asleep!"

"Hey! I paid attention, sometime's! Just not most of the time." He said with an embarrassed look on his face. "Well that's ok, I know your name now!

"Look its starting!" He said suddenly, pointing at the sky.

"What's starting?" She asked.

"The shooting stars!" Said Naruto , as if it was so obvious. "That's why your out here at right?"

"I didn't even know." She said.

"But it only comes once a year on Christmas Eve." He said. Glad that he wasn't the only dense one.

"Well, I guess I never realized. I always spend Christmas Eve with my family, even now I'm going back home in a minute, and shouldn't you be spending Christmas Eve with someone?" she asked, now paying a little attention to the star's.

"Yeah I guess, but all my friends are spending Christmas Eve with their family, and I don't have any family so I usually just spend it by myself." He spoke with not much emotion, but with an underlying sadness only Ino heard.

'Oh no! Why did I bring the subject of family up? I keep forgetting he doesn't have any family...'

"I'm sorry I brung it up Naruto." She said, hoping he wasn't hurt.

"Huh? Brung what up?" He said,

"Family." Ino said, in a low voice.

"Oh, that's ok I don't care!" He said, rubbing the back of his head. "I still have friends so I'm not completely alone. You want to watch the stars with me before you go, ino?" he asked quickly.

"Oh -oh um ok!"

Ino and Naruto sat down on the soft grass and watched the stars as they flew past the sky.

"It's beautiful!" Ino said.

"Yeah it is, I try to watch it every year since it only comes once." Said naruto, in a silent tone. (At least, silent for naruto)

They sat for about 10 minutes and watched the stars. They didn't talk they just watched. Ino kept thinking about what Naruto said, and how it made her feel good about herself. And just as she was thinking, she felt a heavy pressure on her shoulder. She turned around to see what it was, and to her ultimate (and I mean ultimate!) shock, it was Naruto!

He had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Her hand wanted to punch him, and make him wake up. But her heart told her not to move a mussel. So she just sat there and watched him sleep on her shoulder. As rude and airheaded as Naruto acted sometimes, and she thought he snored when he slept. But he was so peaceful, that she wouldn't dare wake him. She had no idea what to do. Should she gently push him off her shoulder and leave, or stay with him till he woke up?

But now it as becoming difficult, because she was also sleepy. She had never felt so tired and started to nod off. And before she knew it, she was asleep too.

The night was over and the sun started to rise. The bright beam of the sun woke ino up, and when she saw that she had woken up on Naruto, opened her mouth, and screamed.

Ahhh!

The loud noise woke Naruto up too, and the two blond haired ninja's were both awoke, looking at each other. Naruto still half asleep, and ino's face was beet red. She had no idea why she blushed, but when she saw how close she was to Naruto, she then knew why.

'Oh my god! I woke up in his arms!' She quickly thought to herself. "What did we do last night, what did we do!"

"Ino? Are you all right?" Naruto asked. Her little panic attack waking him up.

"Naruto don't you know what today is?"

"Yeah it's-" he stopped right in the middle of his sentence. "Hey the suns up, we slept here over night!"

And to Ino's surprise, Naruto started to laugh, he was laughing so hard he stared crying. "Oh god! I can't believe we fell asleep!"

"That's not funny Naruto! My parents must be worried sick!"

"Yeah I guess that's another reason I don't mind having parents." He said with a big grin on his face, "I wonder how we fell asleep?"

Ino then started to remember the night, and a big relief just came right on her shoulders. I remember now, we didn't do anything! 'Anything like what' She banished the thought. But Naruto did fall asleep on my shoulder! "Um I don't remember," she lied. "But I need to go home and tell my parents I'm alright."

Ino and Naruto both got up and headed into town.

The two gate keepers saw both Naruto and Ino go into town the following night, but not together, and when they saw them come out together, they thought something happened between them.

"Okay, well I'll see you later Naruto," said Ino.

"Ok bye Ino!" He waved back.

She ran to her house trying not to look back but did anyway, and when she did her face turned a nice shade of crimson, and she quickly turned back around.

'What just happened, and why do I feel this way? Maybe I need to just go home and lay down...'

As ino left for her house, Naruto soon left for his apartment.

Sakura was looking for Naruto and Ino; she had presents for them and wanted to give it to them. First, she went to Ino's house. She knocked on the door.

"Merry Christmas ino!"

Sakura said to her blond friend.

" Oh yeah merry Christmas sakura" She responded rather quietly.

'What's wrong with ino?' Sakura thought. She loves Christmas, but she looks like she just saw a ghost. "You ok ino?" Her pink-haired friend asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Come in."

Sakura came in her friend's house. Ino left the room, and when she came back, she had a present in her hand.

"Merry Christmas sakura!"

"Thanks." sakura took the present and the handed ino hers; they both opened there presents up at the same time.

"Oh these shoes are beautiful ino! Thank you!"

"I thought you might like them," ino said.

Then she opened up her gift.

"Oh it's that blouse I said I wanted last week! You got it for me, thanks Sakura!"

"Oh it was nothing."

They both gave each other a big hug.

" So I'll see you later ino, I have more presents to give."

"Bye, sakura."

Sakura left ino's house and headed for naruto's apartment. And when she got there, no one was home.

I hope he didn't go outside the village. Knowing Naruto, he probity did. Sakura went to the gate; she thought she should ask the gate keepers first. "Hello, have you seen Naruto?" She asked. They both gave each other a strange look.

"Um yeah," one of them said. But not alone."

"What do you mean not alone?" Sakura asked.

"Well last night we saw ino go outside the village, and then about an hour later we saw Naruto go out side the village. But neither one of them came back that night. Then in the morning, we saw them both of them come into the village, together." He said that last part a little quietly.

'What! Naruto and ino? But what were they doing outside of the village together. And why didn't ino tell me when I went over her house?'

Sakura thought she should go back to Ino's house, so she did. But while she was going to ino's house, so was Naruto.

He reached her house, and knocked on the door. Ino opened the door.

N-Naruto! What is he doing here? She thought.

"Merry Christmas ino!" He said to her.

He had a present in his hand and gave it to ino.

She took the present. Surprised.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, bye ino."

He started to walk off, but for some reason ino asked:

"Do you want to come in, Naruto?"

"Huh? Really?"

"Y-Yeah, I mean you did give me a present. She said nervously. Sorry I didn't give you one but the least I can do is invite you in."

"Oh, alright." Naruto walked in her house and sat down on a sofa next to her.

She opened his present. When she did, she was so surprised she was actually speechless.

It was a beautiful sparkling red hair tie. It was so beautiful it looked priceless. "W-where did you get this?"

"I made it! Iruka sensei taught me how to make stuff like that a while ago. He said something about it being a good way to win a girl's heart, not that that's what I'm trying to do!" He added quickly towards the end.

"Anyway, I know you like tying your hair up so I made you a hair tie." He said, embarrassed.

She jumped up out of her seat and gave Naruto such a huge hug it made both blond ninja's blush. And right as they were hugging, Sakura had arrived at ino's house for an answer as to why Naruto and she were outside of the village together.

She was just about to knock when she saw that the door was open so she just walked in. she walked towered the living room where Naruto and ino were hugging. And when she saw her two friends hugging, she almost passed out in shock.

"Naruto, ino? What are you doing!"

They both got up quickly." S-sakura your back! Um Naruto was just here to give me a Christmas present, see." She showed her the tie Naruto gave her.

"Why did you and Naruto walk into the village together?" She asked. Not yet interested in anything else.

Naruto and ino both gave each other a look.

"We, we fell asleep by mistake and woke up in the woods," said ino.

"You fell asleep together? And what happened?"

"Nothing!" Said ino.

Why is ino acting so weird? Naruto thought. "Um maybe I should go. Said Naruto, here sakura I made a gift for you to."

She took it from him and opened it up. It was a picture frame with sakura Naruto and sasuke carved into it.

"You told me last week you broke your old one so I made you a new one to put that picture of us in it!"

"It's beautiful! Thank you Naruto. And sorry, I was acting so weird just now, you know me I just wanted to know what happened."

" That's ok sakura. I have to go anyway I'll see you both later."

Bye! Both sakura and ino said to the blond haired boy.

So sakura sat down and so did ino.

"So nothing happened huh?" Sakura asked.

"I,-" Ino started to say something but stopped and thought about something else to say. "Yeah, of course nothing happened! Naruto's just my friend, and that's all I think of him." Right?

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><p>Ok so..<p>

More? I actually have a few more chapters typed out, so if you'd like me to continue, please review ^-^

You'll get twizzlers if you do. And a cookie.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I am so very sorry for making you all wait for this! I promise I already had it typed out, but I have n internet at my house, so I had to go to my grandmothers to publish this. I come over here often, but I couldn't upload it for some reason..

Anywho! enjoy this chapter :3

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><p>Chapter two.<p>

'I actually had a good time with him yesterday, we just talked, but, it was nice..? I mean he's so curious and fascinated with everything you have to say when you're talking. I never realized it before but now I kind of like talking with Naruto…'

Ino was lying on her bed in her room thinking so hard, that she barely registered the knock at the door. They kept knocking, until she finally got up to answer, not even asking who it was...

"Good morning Ino!" Naruto said with a grin on his face.

'What is he…? '

"Lady Tsunade has a mission for us. You, me, and Sakura! You know, since we need another member, and Choji and Shikamaru are still injured from their last mission..." The blond boy interrupted.

A mission with me and Naruto; alone? 'And Sakura too, you nervous twit…'

Naruto stood impatient and slightly nervous in front of the girl that had yet to respond… "She already told everything to me and Sakura, so she just wanted me to tell you to get ready, were leaving in an hour."

"Oh, ok, I'll be ready by then!"

"Alright, me and Sakura will be waiting by the gate! Bye Ino yamanaka!"

Ino gasped, '_He remembered my name…'_

Ino had a bit of a relief when she got to the gate; she didn't see Naruto or Sakura in sight. She kept herself up all night trying to figure out just what exactly Naruto made her feel, and why her face was constantly red when he's around…

"Hey Ino!" She turned around to see Naruto running towards her way.

'Where is Sakura?' She thought franticly.

"Where is Sakura?" He echoed her thoughts, "We need to get going!"

"I don't know, I just got here."

"Oh, well I guess she's still getting ready, while I'm here I should tell you about the mission. Come on, there's a bench right outside the gate!" He ran towards a small bench, just big enough to fit two, maybe three people; much to the dismay of Ino.

Naruto went outside the gate, and Ino followed reluctantly. They both sat down, Naruto put his backpack on the ground, and lay back on the bench.

"Well," He began, "it's a B rank Transport mission. We have to transport some kind of national artifact from here, to the village hidden in the grass. It's supposed to be priceless." He scoffed at the end.

"Why do you sound like you don't believe it's priceless?" Ino asked.

"Because I don't! Me and Kiba went on a mission a few years back to transport some priceless artifact to another village. The guy who hired us was a jerk! He was stupid enough to almost get us killed with every step he made! We risked our lives and so did he for something that to my opinion wasn't even worth the money to keep it safe! And at the end of everything the so called priceless artifact fell down a trench and when we got to the village, we found out that the guy that hired us was the guy who made the artifact! And after everything, even breaking his artwork he just put on a big grin, patted us on the head said we did a good job and that it's ok that the artwork broke, because he can just make another one!" He said, all in one breath.

Ino broke out into the biggest laugh she ever has in a long time, she thought that story was so funny she laughed till she cried. And soon so did Naruto.

Sakura had got to the gate, and when she saw Naruto and Ino laughing, she kind of felt left out. So she went over to them. "Yo, guys! What are you two laughing about?"

"Oh, just the mission it's nothing." Naruto said, wiping away a tear.

"So should we get going, I want to get this mission over with already," said Naruto.

Sakura caught Ino smirk a little.

"Yeah we should get going, so does everyone have everything?" Sakura asked.

"Yep we're ready to go!" Naruto said.

"Alright let's head out!" The three ninja's headed out the village.

A few hours had passed, and day was turning into night. "Maybe we should rest here," Sakura said, sounding a little tired.

"Yeah I'm getting kind of tired," said Naruto.

"I think I saw a cave nearby, maybe that would be better", Ino spoke up.

"Ok let's go!"

They all headed to a cave to rest for the night. Ino sat up her sleeping bag on the ground, and Naruto set his up close to her. This made Ino a little uncomfortable. And not to mention blush.

"Are you ok Ino?" Naruto asked. "Your face is red, you have a fever?" He reached out to her, hovering his hand above her forehead, almost touching her, but Ino flinched back quickly.

"Um yeah just a little one," She spoke while slowly backing away, trying her best to too seem rude. "I guess I should lie down."

Sakura looked over to Ino and saw her face; she knew when someone had a fever, and when someone was blushing. And Ino was blushing. 'But why?' Sakura thought

"I'll be right back, I'm going to go outside." Naruto spoke up, heading for the entrance to the cave.

"Why are you going outside by yourself?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He said in an irritated tone, "I' m not a little kid anymore Sakura, I can take care of myself." And with that, he walked out the cave without another word.

"That little orange brat..." Sakura mumbled to herself.

A few hours passed, and both female ninjas were getting worried. But soon, sleep overtook them, one dreaming about a raven haired boy, and the other a blonde…

Sakura and Ino both woke up at the same time, at the same time noticing their hot headed friend wasn't there.. Naruto was gone.

"Where is Naruto?" Ino asked. "His sleeping bag was never opened, he never came back last night."

Both girl ninja's got up at the same time. Racing out of the cave, they looked in the woods for Naruto, but didn't find him. Ino soon went back to the cave, wondering if Naruto already got back. She ran into the cave and bumped into Naruto, literally.

"Ouch!" , cried Naruto.

Ino was too distracted by how insanely close she was to Naruto.

"Oh Ino, are you ok? Where's Sakura?"

She quickly snapped out it. "Am I ok? She's looking for you! We both were."

"Oh um, why?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Oh well we woke up and you were gone, and your sleeping bag wasn't open…" She trailed off.

"Oh well that's because I never got to sleep." He answered casually.

"What! You never went to sleep?"

"Yeah well actually, I sort of did go to sleep. Just not in the cave, heh" He rubbed the back of his head, feeling embarrassed.

Huh?

I was sitting on a hill next to a lake, kind of like the one at the leaf village. And well I just fell asleep; I woke up about ten minutes ago.

You went to sleep on a hill next to a lake out in the open all night! Naruto and Ino turned around to see Sakura, red and raging with fire.

S-Sakura! W-why are you looking at me like you want to hurt me..?"

"Because I do! Do you know how dangerous that is, you Idiot!"

Sakura stomped up to Naruto who was also standing next to Ino. But before she could hit him, Naruto stepped up to Ino and put his arm around her. Then put his other arm around Sakura and said.

"I'm sorry for making you guys worry so much, I'm sorry." I promise I'll be more considerate to you. So can we just get on with the mission and pretend like this never happened."

Both Sakura and Ino couldn't help but blush. _Why is my heart is beating so fast_, Sakura wondered.

_My heart is beating so fast_, Ino thought.

"Ok", Ino, and Sakura said at the same time.

"Alright! So I'll go and get my stuff and we can head out."

(Man that was embarrassing! Naruto thought.)

Naruto went inside the cave, and Sakura and Ino looked at each other. (They were still blushing)

"Um so I guess we should go and get our stuff to." Ino said.

"Yeah we should." Sakura said.

They both went inside the cave, and almost caught on fire from how red their faces were. Naruto had his shirt off and was putting his stuff in his bag.

"Oh, hay! I'll be done in a-" Naruto stopped in the middle of his sentence.

"Um why are you two looking at me like that? And why are your faces red, you got a fever?"

Ino looked at Sakura, and tried the best she could to put on a straight face.

"W-Why do you have your shirt off?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Huh? Oh, my other shirt got dirty, I was training a little before I got here and I fell off a tree."

"Oh are you ok?" Ino asked voice pure with concern.

Sakura looked at her blond friend, blushing; wondering why she looks so fond of Naruto all of the sudden.

"Yeah I'm ok; it was just a lot of tree bark and stuff in my shirt. So I'm changing it."

Sakura and Ino both tried their best to stop looking at Naruto, but they couldn't keep their eyes off of him. Ever since Naruto's been training he's been building up a lot of muscle and he's gone from kind of scrawny, to buffed. And to Ino and Sakura's surprise, he kind of had a six pack!

"Ok done! Naruto said, (With his shirt on) "Let's head out."

They all left out the cave and headed towards the hidden grass village. Finally, that reached the hidden grass village. And before they could even go in, a short man carrying a little box walked toward them. (Get it! Short man, little box!)

The man walked over to them and said in a surprisingly deep voice.

"Come on let's get moving!"

"Wait! Are you the guy who hired us?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, I'm the guy who hired you! He said impatiently. "And the names zambu. Now hurry it up. We don't have all day; man, I thought ninja's were supposed to be skilled and swift and fast, you're all slow-pokes!"

"What!" Naruto shouted. "I'll show you old man!"

"Naruto calm down," Sakura whispered, "He's just trying to get this over just as fast as we do."

"And as for you two girls, zambu said. "Try not to get in my way too much, the boy's already slow. I don't need a couple of ugly girls getting in my way to..."

Sakura and Ino turned bright red, jumped in front of the old man. And slapped him so hard birds scattered away from them.

"Ouch!" The man cried, "What was that for? "

"Call us ugly again and we'll slap you for real next time," Sakura said. And with that, they all walked off without another word.

"I think we should rest here," Suggested Sakura. "I'm sure we're all exhausted."

"No," said Zambu. We've only been walking for a few hours and we need to go faster." He held

"We have been walking for almost 6 hours, and it's almost dark outside." Sakura argued.

"Yeah, I guess I am kind of tired," Ino said.

"Yeah me too," said Naruto.

They found a nearby spa to rest in, even though zambu did not want to. They got two rooms, one for the girls. And one for the boys, which made Naruto upset because he didn't like zambu one bit. Nevertheless, he put up with him anyway.

"I'm going in the bath, are you coming?" He asked.

"No, I am not going in the bath!" Zambu said, sounding almost offended he would even ask such a thing. "I am staying right here with my precious artifact."

" Whatever old man." Naruto walked out of the room, changed, and went into the bath. A little later Naruto came out and knocked on Sakura and Ino's door to ask if they knew when dinner was coming… He was starving, as usual.

No one answered so he went in because the door was open. It sounded like someone was in the bedroom; he went in further and saw someone sleeping in a bed. The covers were on top of their head; he pulled them off and saw a sleeping Ino under the sheets.

Naruto could not explain the feeling he got when he saw her, but for some unexplainable reason, he blushed, and hard. Ino woke up, and almost died at seeing Naruto so close to her.

"Naruto! What are you doing in my room? She asked, blushing yet again in the presence on Naruto.

"Uh, I was looking for Sakura. To ask if she knew when dinner was going to be served." I didn't know you were in here. He said nervously. Why didn't he come to ask me? Why did he just say he was only looking for Sakura?

"Sakura went into the bath," she said sounding a little hurt.

"Oh! Well, sorry for waking you up, bye Ino." Naruto walked out of the room as fast as possible.

_Why did I feel like that when I saw Ino sleeping_? He asked himself.

It's just Ino, right?

Chapter 2 end.

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><p><strong>Review my lovlies!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I hope this makes up for my long update last time xD I wrote this in about 2 hours, so excuse any errors... Also i've decided to completly change how this story would have ended when I wrote it, and give it a bit (HUGE) of a twist. You'll see what I mean in about 2 chapter or so...

P.S. Like I said in the first chapter, I wrote this a WHILE ago, meaning, about 2 and a half years. Therefore! My grammer wasn't at its greatest, nor was my spelling, I admit... Anywho, i'm writing a new story (Merlin/Arthur) so if anyone is interested, that should be up in about... a week? Maybe sooner.

I'm also greatly sorry for how short this is ... *bows head in shame* I'll try so much harder! 3:

ENJOY THE STORY...

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><p>After dinner, everyone headed to bed, the only content one being Zambu as he clutched his precious cargo to his chest as he fell asleep.<p>

Ino was restless. All she could think about was Naruto, and how he made her feel so… _light_. It was unnerving, and she almost didn't want the feeling. _I mean, this is Naruto! _She Thought. _Its only Naruto…_

Sakura was frustrated. She could just about punch a dent in someone's face at the moment, that _someone_ being Naruto. How could he not see Ino like's him! But that's not why she's frustrated, no. She's frustrated because although against her will, she was starting to fall for the Blonde idiot herself, but this just would not do!

_I refuse to like him!_

Naruto was confused, as usual. He'd never had this feeling before, it was light, but at the same time heavy as something dropped in his stomach like a weight whenever he saw Ino. It almost _hurt_, but in a good way..? _If only I could ask somebody about this! _

_Oh I know, Sakura!_

Naruto quickly left out of his moderately sized room, careful not to wake up Zambu but really, he was out like a brick. He still held his artifact.

Naruto walked down the hall, determined to get answers and dimly remembering that he stilldidn't know what Zambu's "cargo" was called. _Probably Zambu…_

He stopped in front of Sakura and Ino's room and knocked on the door. He immediately was greeted by Ino, who looked like she could take on a rouge ninja and fall asleep all at the same time.

Looking a bit disoriented, Ino sputtered, "N-Naruto. What are you…?"

"I need to talk to Sakura!" He interrupted.

"Oh, she's… she's right here." Ino looked a tad hurt, but if Naruto noticed, he didn't comment.

"Ino, who is that?" Sakura spoke up, coming to the door just as Ino stepped aside. "Naruto?" She asked, "Why are you here?"

"I need to talk to you…" He looked over to Ino, who was intentionally averting his eyes, "Can we go outside, please?"

"I guess," she was shaking on the inside. She basically blamed her new found infatuation on Naruto; it was, after all, his fault.

They walked out the door, and Ino lay down; finally closing her eyes as she fell asleep.

Naruto led Sakura just a few feet outside the hotel, not really caring where he went so long as it wasn't close to prying ears.

"Sakura… My heart feels funny," He started off suddenly, "When I'm around a certain person, my whole body feels weird and my face gets all hot!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Sakura was stunned, stunned at how Naruto could be so utterly stupid! _So, he likes me? I knew all those times he asked me out wasn't a joke…_

"Naruto, it sounds to me like you've fallen for someone."

"Fallen? But, I didn't fall, Sakura," Naruto spoke, "Why would I fall?"

Sighing, Sakura quickly explained. "Naruto, I mean when you like someone. More than a friend? That's what you feel, at least that's what it seems."

"Sakura?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Um, what do I do? Should I tell In- uh, this person, that I like them, or…?"

Smiling quite manically, Sakura felt triumphant inside. She still didn't want to like Naruto, but she thought it was cute that he liked her…

"But, Naruto, you just did."

Looking from confused to terrified, Naruto looked around frantically and asked, "What! Is, is she here? Oh man, I'm doomed! I can't believe this, I should have walked farther away from the…"

"Naruto! Calm down, I'm not going to hate you or anything. I don't mind, in fact…"

"Sakura, what are you talking about? Why would you hate me?"

"Well, because you like me." She stated.

"I- I like you?" Naruto stuttered, just utterly perplexed now.

**Ino POV**

Ino woke up suddenly, once again not able to sleep. She looked over at Sakura's cot, noticing that her pink haired friend wasn't back yet. _She can't possibly still be with Naruto?_

She sighed, deciding it was none of her business. A walk, what she needed was a walk and some fresh air; so Ino stepped out of her room, down the long hallway and out the large double doors of their current residence.

She didn't get far, though, as two familiar voices filled her ears…

"_Well, because you like me." She recognized that as Sakura's voice. _

"_I- I like you?"_ She heard Naruto say, but by now she was close enough to see them both. And she didn't want to hear this anymore, so she turned around and left.

**Regular POV**

"Sakura, I like Ino, if what you told me about my feelings were true…" He looked nervous, and rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly, "I don't like you. Not in that way"

Ino had already retreated back in her room, but it's a shame she didn't get a chance to hear this. And as Sakura stared at Naruto, not liking the feeling of rejection, she wished she had never heard this. She wished it didn't sting so much.

"Oh, well. I knew that, I was just making sure. I don't want you to like me, after all," Sakura stated in a slightly clipped tone, "And if I were you, I wouldn't tell Ino. I doubt she feels the same." And with that being said, she walked away from a slightly hurt Naruto, down the long hallway and in to her room. She plopped down on her bed, and dreamed of raven hair…

Naruto stood still in the moonlight, trying to figure out what just happened.

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><p><strong>...AND REVIEW My lovlies!<strong>


	4. AN IMPORTANT!

I'm so, so SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING THIS!

I've been so busy with things and just… I guess you can say life finally caught up with me ._.

BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE. And I shall begin writing the final chapters for this immediately because honestly, it's almost over. As I've said I wrote the first couple of chapters years ago and no longer have any inspiration for continuing this further that just giving it a simple end. Does that make sense? Yea, probably not…

And also, for anyone interested, I'll be updating **Almost There, **also. I'll probably re-write it altogether, actually. But that shouldn't take anymore than a week, tops.

If not, you can do with me as you wish and I won't even cry out in pain! I deserve punishment 3:

(I swear I didn't mean to make that sound sexual…)


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